Q.) Is it permissible to stretch the words "Hayya ala Salat" and "Haya alal Falah" in adhan as is found in most of the adhans of Madinah and Makkha? Sometimes it is stretched well above 5 seconds and the sense of what is being said is lost and it seems like the person is not making adhan but crying out, because the words "Salat" and "Falah" are stretched so much, Please elucidate. (Muhammad bin Farooq Adam, U.K.)

A.) The purpose of the Adhan is to call people towards Salat. That can be better attained by stretching the words of the Adhan.

When a person calls someone who is far away 'Yasin' without stretching, he may not even hear you although you had called him in a loud voice because of the speed of your words. Whereas, if the same word is stretched, 'Yaaseen' and said in a loud voice, there is a better possibility of him hearing you.

However, the Fuqahaa have ruled that if the meaning of a word is changed by stretching, then it will be impermissible, e.g. 'Allahu Akbar' is changed to, 'Aallaahu Aakbar' which means, 'Is Allah the Greatest?' And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best.